Update | US Postal Service flip-flops on Hong Kong-China packages, lifting a ban imposed a day earlier
Published:Wednesday | February 5, 2025 | 9:58 AM
HONG KONG (AP) — The US Postal Service is reversing course a day after placing a ban on all inbound mail and packages from China and Hong Kong.
The post office announced Tuesday that it would no longer accept parcels from the China and Hong Kong after the US imposed an additional 10 per cent tariff on Chinese goods and ended a customs exception that allowed small value parcels to enter the US without paying tax.
The Postal Service gave no reason for the reversal, but said it would work with Customs and Border Protection to implement a collection process for the new China tariffs to avoid delivery disruptions.
The post office pointed to the short prepared statement on the reversal when asked for more details Wednesday by The Associated Press.
The ban had the potential to create massive disruptions for online shopping platforms like Shein and Temu, popular with younger shoppers in the US for cheap clothing and other products, usually shipped directly from China.
Cheap, direct postal service helps these companies keep costs low, as did the "de minimis" exemption that previously allowed shipments to go tax-free if their value is under $800.
The suspension by USPS would have likely have created delays in shipments and potentially higher prices for the companies that rely on rock-bottom pricing for huge sales.
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